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Gallatin County Commission approves routine contracts, subdivision actions and launches open-lands application cycle
Summary
On Jan. 27 the Gallatin County Commission approved claims and contracts (including the low bid for election ballot printing), adopted two resolutions related to road dedications and weight restrictions, authorized an open-lands call for applications with $931,246 available and approved a Big Sky School District amendment for teacher housing triplexes.
The Gallatin County Commission met Jan. 27 and approved routine financial and land-use items, including a contract award for ballot printing and multiple subdivision actions, and issued a call for applications under its Open Lands Program.
The meeting opened with the consent agenda, during which staff reported claims and warrants totaling $2,622,518.10. The commission voted 3–0 to approve the consent agenda. Clerk/staff read the claims list and voucher numbers into the record.
Votes at a glance
- Election ballot printing: The commission approved the contract recommendation for ballot printing and accepted the county elections administrator's recommendation of Color World as the lowest qualifying bidder (bid reported in the presentation as $52,440; the motion text included a slightly different figure during the verbal roll-call). Eric Simerrad, Gallatin County recording recorder and election administrator, said the county received four bids and recommended Color World. The motion passed 3–0.
- Weight restriction resolution (Resolution 2026-010): Levi Ewen, county engineer, presented the annual spring weight-restriction resolution and noted a new explicit exemption in the draft that allows solid-waste collection, school buses and emergency vehicles to operate without a special exemption letter. The commission adopted the resolution, vote 3–0.
- Open Lands Program (Other Eligible Projects): Sean O'Callaghan, lands coordinator, asked the commission to issue the call for applications for other eligible projects; staff reported $931,246 available for this funding cycle and set an application deadline of 5 p.m. on March 20, 2026. The commission voted 3–0 to issue the request for applications.
- Big Sky School District BLR amendment: County planning staff presented a Buildings for Lease or Rent (BLR) amendment for Big Sky School District No. 72 to replace six single-family workforce-housing cabins with two multifamily triplexes intended for teacher housing. Ryan Stagg, county planning, outlined staff-recommended conditions including restrictions limiting leasing to employees as defined in zoning regulations, and noted health-department authorization for the wastewater system and an anticipated well yield of about 35 gallons per minute. Dustin Shipman, superintendent of Big Sky School District, said the change increases on-campus workforce housing capacity. After findings, the commission adopted the staff report and approved the BLR amendment, 3–0.
- Spanish Peaks Resort Phase 10a: Staff recommended adoption of a public improvements agreement and a resolution accepting road dedications (Powercrest Trail, Settlement Trail, Skyview Way) and recommended final plat approval for Phase 10a. The commission authorized the chair to sign the improvements agreement, adopted the road-dedication resolution (identified in the staff presentation as Resolution 2026-011), and granted final plat approval. All motions passed 3–0.
What the votes mean
Most items were routine, reflecting staff recommendations and technical compliance with applicable county standards and state statutes. The open-lands call makes $931,246 available to capital and maintenance projects that support the county's open-lands levy goals; staff clarified that projects that were conditions of regulatory approvals (for example, a developer-required trail as a subdivision condition) were excluded by the eligibility language.
Key sources and authorities cited at the meeting included County resolutions on the open-lands funding and the annual weight-restriction resolution; staff referenced Montana law when discussing road dedication and subdivision processes.
Next steps
Applications for the Open Lands Program other-eligible-projects cycle are due 5 p.m. on March 20, 2026. The county will proceed with permit and subdivision reviews as required for projects such as the Big Sky School District BLR amendment and will record the road dedications for Spanish Peaks Resort Phase 10a in county records.
Reporting note: Quotes and attributions above are drawn from remarks recorded in the meeting transcript and map to the speakers listed in the commission minutes.
